Once Upon A Time Is Forever
by Sharon21
Summary: He changed her history. He changed her theory. And most definitely he changed her life. A little story for Valentine’s Day. Naley AU. *Updated all three chapters and combined all them into a one page.


**Disclaimer:**_. __I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters._

**Author's Note:** I wrote this little story for Valentine's Day, three year ago for another site and since I hadn't posted it on here, I thought I'd be great if I did so. So, I'd like to dedicate this story to all hardcore NH Fans, in over the world. Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this.

Let me remind you this quickly, 'Once Upon a Time is Forever' is a completely AU story, which means the characters aren't going to be exactly like those we see on the show so, if you decide to read this, please keep an open mind. So, Please review and tell me what you think about my attempt. It means a lot to me.

P.S - I combined all the three chapters into a one page. So, enjoy this journey and Love ya all!.....

**Summary: **_He changed her history. He changed her theory. And most definitely he changed her life. A little story for Valentine's Day. Naley AU. *Updated all three chapters and combined all of them into a one page._

**--------------------**

**Once Upon a Time is Forever.**

_by_ **Sharon**.

**Chapter 01 - Signs Of Life.**

Haley James was born on February fourteenth and almost any father would have called her his "little valentine". Her father however was comfortably drunk and nestled between the thighs of a panting, blonde-tressed librarian in the next state. He never heard of the birth, nor would he have cared much; the impregnation of Haley's mother was the conclusion of two weeks of nurturing the eighteen year old woman's naiveté with his natural charm.

He forgot about Lydia James as soon as he left town in search of the next job. The young girl had been crushed because she thought he truly loved her, and when she missed the second of her monthly cycles, she was mortified. According to complaisant society, good girls did not become pregnant outside of wedlock.

Lydia was bustled off two hundred miles away to live with Aunt Elizabeth in the small, sleepy town of Greenville. Lydia would have the baby there, away from the watching eyes and wagging tongues of Hill's Corner, and then return home. Lydia's parents told everyone she had eloped with the drifter and moved to Greenville. Elizabeth told her friends that Lydia's husband had left her, and that she had nowhere else to go.

When Haley became old enough to ask about her father, Lydia would tell her the same story. As the months passed, Lydia learned the Hill's Corner gossip line had already chewed up and spit out their version of her plight, and after Haley's birth, she refused to suffer the indignity of returning. Besides, the economy was in a shambles and there was no more work in Hill's Corner than in Greenville. Aunt Elizabeth was a teacher, and did have a small income. They planted a huge garden, and Greenville became her new home.

Haley's aunt had never married, and was of a strict, fundamentalist faith not given to demonstrated affection. The gentle touches and whispers of love between two people would not have been seen in the household even if she had been married. Haley was, from birth, one to express her feelings in a physical manner, and at first, her sloppy baby kisses were readily accepted by both Elizabeth and Lydia.

One day when she was six, Aunt Elizabeth scolded her for such displays, and said she should be old enough to see the devil in her soul. She ordered Haley to go to her room and pray for forgiveness. Lydia returned from a neighbor's and found the little girl crying into her pillow. Haley ran to her, and in sobbing spurts, told of her aunt's upset at what had seemed normal until then. On that night, Lydia tucked her into bed and instead of the nursery rhyme they usually shared, Lydia told her a story of a pretty princess who was rescued from peril by a strong young man.

"Someday, a nice young man will ask you to be with him, too, and you'll live happily ever after, just like in the story." Haley fell asleep with thoughts of the princess and the young man.

The next day, Haley told her aunt about the story, and Elizabeth frowned. "You shouldn't listen to such drivel. It's more of the devil's work, and your mother should know all about that. I'll have to speak to her."

At her bedtime the next night, Haley asked Lydia to tell her the story again.

"I can't, Hales. Aunt Elizabeth was really mad at me. If she finds out I told you another story like that one, she might make us leave."

"I promise not to tell anybody, ever, Momma. Just tell me the story again." Lydia began the tale as Haley lay back on the pillow and closed her eyes. She never broke her promise.

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In a few years, Haley didn't need anyone to tell her stories; she read them herself. She became a rather quiet child who was more comfortable reading a good book than cavorting with friends. In the spring of 1999, Lydia found employment as the local librarian, and this pleased Haley. She could read as much as she wanted, and always had a love story from the library beside her bed.

Haley's reading taught her some of the ways of men and women, and in lieu of friends, it was to her mother that she turned for explanations. As she grew older, she and Lydia became almost as sisters; when womanhood approached, Haley began asking her questions that Elizabeth would have called more devil's work. Lydia supplied the answers she thought the girl would understand, but could never fully answer Haley's most persistent question.

"Momma, how do you know if you're in love?"

"I don't know how to tell you that, sweetie. It's like you're so full when you're with him, and so empty when he's away, I guess. I thought I was in love with your father, but...well, you'll know because it'll be something you've never felt before."

Haley became a woman at the age of fourteen, and grew into a lushly curved vision of ripe femininity. She began getting invitations for dates with the local boys, and Lydia allowed her to accept after her sixteenth birthday. After she spending the first few evenings wrestling with her companion to keep his roving hands at bay, she stopped going out.

By her graduation day, Haley had become a handsome woman who had never experienced so much as a kiss. With the money from a summer of working at the local grocery, and the money her mother had saved over the years, she was off to college and independence for the first time in her life. The night before Lydia drove her to the university, she knocked on Haley's bedroom door.

"Baby, I've worked to give you the opportunity I never had because..., well, you're old enough to know now. I was your age when I met your father. He said he loved me and wanted to be with me. I wanted so much to be loved, to feel like I belonged with somebody…….. He said I was beautiful and that we could get married as soon as he made a little more money. I was in heaven, and when he said that two people who feel about each other like we did didn't need to be married to...to be intimate, I wanted that too. We sneaked into my room one day when nobody else was home. The next day, he left town, and I've never heard from him since…….. The only thing I have to remember him by is you. Do you understand what I'm telling you baby?"

"Yes, but I already know that, most of it anyway. Grandma told me."

"Grandma told you?....... She promised never to say anything to you about your father. She's the reason we came to live with Aunt Elizabeth, so she wouldn't be ashamed of me…..and of you."

"Momma, don't think so badly of Grandma. She worries about me because of what happened to you. She thinks it was her fault. When I visited that week last summer, we had women's talks, as she called them. That's when she told me, but she was only trying to tell me to be careful. She didn't mean any harm. Momma, you could have told me this before…… It wouldn't have made any difference to me since he's never been around…. He might as well be dead."

"I thought it would be better if you didn't know, so you wouldn't have to be ashamed with your friends. Aunt Elizabeth and I have taken care of you since you were born, but now, you'll have to take care of yourself…. All those things I told you about boys were true. If I had been smarter..."

"You were smart enough. You just got taken in by a jerk."

"Yes, but it made me feel stupid then, and still does sometimes. I don't go out with men, because I don't trust myself to make the right decisions. You shouldn't be that way, but you have to be careful that you're sure before you...." Lydia took her daughter's hand in her own. "Haleybob, I see so much of me in you. Life isn't like those fairy tales I used to tell you at bedtime, and it isn't like the love stories you read. Once upon a time never happens, and the prince doesn't always take the girl away to the castle….. If you met a man like I did, it might be hard to tell the difference between the real thing and what he wants you to think."

"Don't worry, Momma. I'm not going to hop into bed with just anybody that comes along, and I'm smart enough to see past the words. You said the best thing I could ever give my husband is myself, and I intend to save that until I'm married…. I'll only fall in love once, for real at least, and I want to save myself for him. I promise you that, just like I promised I wouldn't tell Aunt Elizabeth about our bedtime stories, remember?"

"Yes, Honey, I remember. Just keep your wits about you, OK?... You haven't had much experience with men, and I won't be there to help."

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Haley was as good as her word, and although she had a few dates during her four years at the university, none of the men ever really made her feel as though he was the one. She spent her time studying, and graduated four years later with her degree in elementary education and a teaching certificate.

The last semester of "practice teaching" had been thrilling and had confirmed her decision to follow her aunt's vocation. Any other occupation would have been meaningless after she'd spent fifteen weeks with the twenty little boys and girls that made up her second grade class.

She came back to her apartment each night with the thrill that she'd seen a difference in this child or that, and the satisfaction was overwhelming. The more secret reason for her conviction was the squeeze of a small hand, or the hug from a little boy or girl that said, "Thank you for helping me".

Haley started teaching at Greenville Grade School the next year, and found that her third grade class was both more fulfilling and more discouraging than she had ever thought possible. The children were wonderful, but the parents were often not all that interested in anything besides having a state-paid baby-sitter.

One boy in particular drew first her interest and then her heart. Jamie was a bright student, and it was difficult to keep him challenged with her normal class work. When he became bored, he became a disruption to the rest of the class. She had tried to obtain permission to get Jamie placed in the next grade, but his parents met with her and the principal, and said they didn't want him treated differently. His father went so far as to say she should just "make him behave" if he acted up in class. She went home from school that afternoon and cried out her frustration into her pillow.

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The Christmas pageant was an evening when every parent came to see their child play a singing Christmas tree, a dancing candy cane, or star that recited a poem, and was the height of the school year. Every teacher wrote the little skit or chose the song for the class and designed the costumes.

The children worked on their presentation for weeks, and by the evening of the pageant, every parent had heard their child's song or skit so often it was committed to memory. Still, they dressed in suits and dresses and came to watch and applaud. Haley was proud of her class, and was especially proud of little Jamie. He had shown a talent for singing, and she had given him a short solo in their song.

On the evening of the performance, Jamie arrived in his normal T-shirt and jeans instead of the white shirt and tie worn by the other boys. Haley had no time or means to fix his attire, but Jamie sang his part as if dressed in the robes of a choir boy. As the parents began to leave with their children, she noticed Jamie walking out the door and ran to congratulate him.

"Hey, Jimmy-jam. You did very well tonight, and I'm really proud of you…. I'll bet your parents are proud of you too."

"Naw Hales, they couldn't come. My Uncle Nate here brought me."

Haley looked at the man standing beside Jamie, and felt her face flush. He was about her age, tall, and sported a flat-top haircut that accented his strong chin and lanky face. She was staring into his deep blue eyes when she heard a far-away voice say, "Hello, I'm Jamie's Uncle Nate; Nathan Scott, that is".

She finally remembered that she should say something. She was able to stammer, "I - I'm Miss James...Haley, Jamie's teacher…. Pleased to meet you. I'm so proud of Jamie. It's a shame his parents couldn't come tonight, but it's wonderful that you made it."

"Jamie and I go way back, don't we, old buddy?" He patted Jamie on the head and he looked embarrassed. "Jamie's my only nephew, and, well, we do lots of stuff together. I wouldn't have missed this for all the money in the world." He turned to Jamie. "Well cupid, we better get you home to bed. You still have another day of school before Christmas, and you know what I always say about school."

Jamie hung his head and his voice was one of surrender to the inevitable. "Yeah, I know… If I don't do good in school, you won't take me fishin' no more."

She watched Nathan until they walked out the door of the gym.

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Haley was enjoying the holiday break. She had driven back to Hill's Corner for Christmas Day, and hadn't arrived back in Greenville until very late. The travel had worn her out, and she had slept late this morning. In that twilight time between sleep and awake, she thought of Jamie's tall uncle and the Sea-blue eyes that had so captivated her that night.

_I must have been really tired from getting ready for the pageant_, she thought, _to have let him affect me so_. She was musing about what it would be like to meet him again, when her phone rang. It took three rings for her to throw herself out of bed and trot to the phone table in the living room.

"Hello"

"Miss James, please."

"This is, Miss James."

"Miss James, this is Nathan Scott, Jamie's uncle, remember?"

"Has something happened to Jamie?" She had a flash of Jamie lying sick or hurt in some way.

Nathan's voice was calm and even. "No, no, he's fine. By the way, he says you're the best teacher he's ever had." The voice wavered a bit, and then the words came quickly. "That's not why I called. I, um, well, I noticed that you weren't wearing a ring that night at the school, and I wondered if you'd have dinner with me sometime."

She was certain he heard her heartbeat, because it was making her nearly deaf.

"Well..., yes, I think I'd like that…… When did you have in mind?" Haley mumbled shyly.

Nathan smirked at her nervous voice. "Uh, I was thinking of tonight, if that's not too short notice."

_Tonight? _She hadn't done her hair since the last day of school, and she'd need to get something to wear. Her school dresses would be too conservative for a date, but where would she get a dress that was appropriate for the season. The stores had been sold out for weeks.

_Shoes, what about shoes?_ She had a pair of brown pumps for school and a pair of black heels for special occasions. Maybe the heels would work if she could find a dress. She mentally inventoried her meager cache of stockings. None were new, but one pair had only one run, and her dress would cover it...probably. This was too much in too short a time. She'd just have to say she had a prior commitment, and hope he picked another night. _Why was she acting like this, anyway?_ It wasn't as if he was the last man in the world.

"Hello, Miss James, did I lose you?"

"I'm sorry. No, I was just thinking that...that...that I would love to have dinner with you tonight. Should I meet you somewhere, or will you pick me up?"

"I'll pick you up at six, if that's all right." Nathan laughed nervously. "I guess the address in the phone book is right?"

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The evening was a dream, or so it seemed when she finally pulled to covers to her shoulders and tried to sleep. Anything that felt so right couldn't have been real.

Nathan had arrived at her door with a bouquet of flower. She'd never gotten flowers from a man before, and the fragrant orchid was more than she expected to ever get on just a date.

He told her she was pretty, even though she knew her hastily adjusted hemline was crooked and the black dress was out of style. Nathan opened the car door for her when they left, and then opened every other door she came to except the one to the ladies room in the restaurant. She had been a bit afraid he would try to open that one too. His manners were those of a gentleman, but they were only a small portion of the dream. Another bit of the dream was his intelligent and witty conversation. Unlike most of her past dates, he didn't spend the evening talking about himself, but instead, kept steering the conversation to her experiences and opinions.

The really dreamlike quality of the evening was caused by nothing Nathan actually did; the cause was the feeling that had insinuated itself through her caution and then flourished into the tremendous sense of completeness she had felt for the first time in her life. As Haley drifted in the stream of semi-consciousness that precedes sleep, she realized that he hadn't even tried to kiss her goodnight.

He had walked her to her door and thanked her for a nice evening. They stood looking at each other on her front porch, and she tried with all her might to will him to kiss her. Nathan only touched her hand, asked if he might call her again, and then left. "Momma was wrong", she whispered to Mr. Waffles, her faithful teddy bear who always listened and never criticized. "Once upon a time really does happen."

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The courtship was short, at least by Aunt Elizabeth's standards. She thought three years would have been more seemly than five months, but she cried at Haley's June wedding all the same. Her mother stood in pride as Haley's grandfather walked her down the flower-strewn white runner to the alter. He replied to the minister's question with a faltering, "Her mother and I do".

When Haley kissed his cheek through the white veil, she saw the single tear that trickled from his eye. When he patted her arm and released her, she took her place beside Nathan, and smiled at Jamie. Nathan had asked him to be his best man, in spite of his few years, and Jamie was smiling from ear to ear as he reveled in this important responsibility.

She floated through the rest of the ceremony on the breeze of remembrance and expectation, and when the minister pronounced her to be Mrs. Nathan Scott, her own tears of joy filled her eyes.

The reception on the church lawn was wonderful except for the rice that kept falling from her hair into her bra. It had also been difficult to hold back the laugh when Aunt Elizabeth had shouldered her way through everybody to catch the bridal bouquet. By early afternoon, Haley and Nathan were on their way to the Mountain Inn in Johnson City for three days of exploration of each other and confirmation of their future together.

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Nathan sat in his black cotton pajamas and waited patiently for Haley to come out of the bathroom. She had been beautiful in the white gown, and he had been afraid that the lump in his throat would prevent him from saying the vows. As soon as she took his arm, a calm settled over him, and he knew everything would be all right.

He had kissed her in front of others for the first time, and his chest swelled as he patted Jamie on the shoulder and then turned with his bride to meet the assembled guests. He had been proud when he led his new wife back down the aisle.

Now, he waited in anticipation, and in some fear, for what was to come. The bathroom door opened, and he smiled as the woman who now shared his name slowly walked into the room.

The white satin fell around her body from thin ribbons that crossed her soft shoulders. The cut of the neckline swooped low over the separation between her soft breasts, and the clinging material formed itself around the firm mounds to accent their ripe fullness. The white shimmering sheath narrowed at her trim waist before flowing around her full hips in a flourishing display of her sensuous feminine form.

Haley looked back at him with a self-conscious grin on her face, and appeared to be waiting for a comment.

"My God, Hales, you are so beautiful."

The soft flesh-tone of her face and the translucent white of her breasts flushed bright pink as she beamed back at this man who had captured her soul. Nathan rose as she put her arms around his neck and crushed herself against his muscular, heated body.

* * *

**Chapter 02 – Dream Of Mirrors.**

"Thank you, Nathan. You make me feel that way."

Their first kiss was faltering; it seemed so odd to be free to do anything they wanted without worrying about what others might think, and the freedom made each nervous. The second was more natural, and Nathan tentatively caressed her back and the soft swell of her hips.

Haley felt his strong hands gliding over her body on the slippery film of fabric, and a surge of pleasure and the anticipation of more swept over her body. For a while, she allowed herself to fly on the sensations of his lips and hands. She began to feel a need she could not have explained, and whispered to Nathan.

"We should be getting out of these clothes, but it's a little embarrassing for me yet."

In deference to her shyness, Nathan turned out the light, and took her in his arms again.

"I love you, Hales, more than anything else in this world."

Haley pushed gently away, and in one smooth motion, pulled the satin over her head. In such light as shone through the thick window curtain she stood before her friend, her husband, her soon-to-be lover. She unsnapped the front of his shirt and pressed her bare breasts into his chest.

"I love you, Nathan, and I'll be the best wife I can be. I - I'm a little scared of...Momma said it would hurt, at first."

"If you want me to stop, just tell me. I don't wanna push you, babe……..If you wanna wait, we'll wait," Nathan gently said while kissing her jaw.

"No, I don't want you to stop, not ever. And I think we are ready……I'm ready, Nathan."

Nathan led her to the bed and they lay against each other as their hands explored those places that each had dreamed of but which society deemed taboo until marriage.

Both were informed of the mechanics of love, but were inexperienced in the giving of pleasure to a partner. The eagerness of youth soon discovered the sensitivity of nipples turned hard by a gentle caress and the agonizing pleasure of soft hands that stroked stiff manhood.

Haley was experiencing the shooting sensations of a woman in need of physical love, and responded in the way of women since time began. Her unconscious moans guided Nathan's fingertips, and her feminine instinct gave direction to her own caresses.

Nathan knew that a woman's first time would be easier if she were brought to the edge of her passion before he attempted to enter her, and he took care that he did not rush. He kissed her nipples as his hand trailed Haley's slightly rounded belly. Her sharp gasp was followed by another as he swirled his fingertips through the soft curls that carpeted her mound. He gently pushed on her thigh and she opened herself enough that he could continue his journey of exploration and excitation to the puffy lips of her sex.

Haley murmured a soft sound as his fingertip slipped over the separation between them. When Nathan parted the softness to seek the delicate petals inside, she opened herself completely. In her passion, she began to feel a new need, a need to feel all of this man, and when his finger slipped into her passage she arched and pulled him to her.

Nathan knelt between her upraised knees, but did not force himself through her waiting entrance. He controlled his need, and caressed her secret inner self to lead her further into the ecstasy of their love making. He somewhat accidentally brushed a small nubbin of flesh at the top of her soft lips and Haley cried out. He continued caresses of this minute but intensely sensitive place. The gentle touch caused her to cry out again and to thrust her hips off the bed. Her scent wafted to his nose and drove Nathan past the point of waiting longer. He guided his shaft to her soft entrance and gently pushed. Haley immediately pushed back, and he slipped inside against a soft barrier.

"Nathan, don't stop, please don't stop. Just do it. I want you so much." Haley moaned out.

After a moment, Nathan again pushed gently, but firmly and felt the opening yield slightly. He withdrew, then pushed in again and felt that the passage was more open. The temptation to thrust through the guarding film was great but he had resolved to cause as little pain as possible. Again Nathan pulled back and then slowly pressed forward. His shaft pressed against the soft ring, and he pushed ever so slightly forward. His gentle approach was thwarted when Haley thrust herself over him and he slipped deeply into her belly. They lay in union for a few moments. He kissed her cheek and tasted the salt of tears.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I've hurt you."

"No…It's only for a second….but it's done. I want you now. It still hurts a little, but it feels good too. Just don't stop again." Haley crossed her legs over his back and urged him to move with the rocking of her hips and the pull of her arms.

Nathan found a rhythm that she seemed to enjoy, and the sensations shooting from his manhood were unbelievable.

She kept kissing him with her wet sensuous mouth and digging her fingers into his hips to pull him inside her. He could not stop his climb to the abyss, and soon spent his seed in hard, deep strokes that Haley made deeper with her own thrusts. He lay on top of her softness, cradled between her thighs, as she stroked his back.

"Nathan, you've made me a woman, and it feels so wonderful."

"But, you didn't...did you."

"I felt you inside me and felt your body pressing against me. It was enough for this first time. I feel so wonderful and...I love you so much."

The next two days filled Haley with such happiness that she felt she would burst. They had an eternity, it seemed at first, to learn of each other and to just be together. They made love the next morning, and though she still felt a small pain when he entered her, the feeling was soon replaced by continuous spasms of pleasure that rippled through her body.

Nathan tried gentle caresses to the little button that sometimes touched his manhood as he slipped in and out of her warm wetness, and Haley lost herself in the exquisite waves of sensation that washed over her entire being. This time, as Nathan felt the peak approaching, Haley cried out and arched herself into him.

The hot depth of her and her clasping wetness spurred him to his leap. Nathan stroked through her silken softness and increased the pressure of his caresses. Suddenly, Haley became stiff with the tension of her impending release, and then, with a loud cry, she convulsed in a surging wave of rocking hips, tightly gripping arms and panting breaths. Her violent motion forced his body to react in the rapid thrusts of lust, and the seed spewed through his throbbing member and deep into her belly.

After their intense encounter, they both lay gasping for breath until Haley began to giggle. He opened his eyes and looked at the laughing face beneath him.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about a book I read once. The woman told her lover that she felt like every part of her was exploding at the same time. I didn't know what that meant...until just now. It was a pretty good description, except that I don't think my big toe exploded this time. We need to do it again, 'cause I don't want my toe to feel left out." Haley flirtatiously said as Nathan burst in to a huge laugh.

The last day arrived with a bright sun that turned the beads of sweat on their passion-heated bodies to glistening jewels. They knew the love of their minds before the wedding; now they knew the love of bodies held close in the culmination of ecstasy and the love of the quiet afterward as their heartbeats and breathing returned to the slow pace of satisfied desire. They showered together, and while exploring the feeling of the touches of soap-slick skin, nearly missed the checkout time.

As Nathan drove home, Haley watched the passing countryside, and remembered that she had to talk with Momma. She had to tell her that "once upon a time" had really happened.

She scooted closer to Nathan and kissed his cheek. He turned and their lips met for a fraction of a minute. That moment sealed both the experience of the last three days, and also dictated their future. Nathan didn't see the semi-tractor that appeared around the sharp curve, and he didn't see that he had drifted across the centerline and halfway into the other lane.

Haley first heard a terrible crunching sound, and then a moment of intense pain before everything went black. Finally, she stirred, but it felt as if she were struggling through deep water. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She got out of the car, but she didn't know how, and when she opened her eyes, an intense light blinded her. I must be staring directly at the sun, she thought, and turned away. The same bright light seared her eyes, and she tried to move away until she felt his hand on her arm.

"Hales, we're OK now. We need to go this way."

Nathan led her away, and the light became more normal. She found herself standing in a verdant green meadow beside a crystal blue river.

"Nathan, what happened."

"I wrecked the car, but we're safe now. Don't worry, everything is going to be all right ok. Just sit and rest for a while."

The grass was soft and fragrant. The river made soft gurgling sounds and the songbirds in the majestic oak trees sang the trills and staccato chirps of the joy of life. She was sleepy, and closed her eyes.

She awoke to the quiet, purple-orange evening sky with her head in Nathan's lap. He was caressing her cheek. She was startled at the late hour, and knew her mother would worry if they didn't get back to Greenville on time. She was wondering how they would get home when Nathan spoke.

"She won't be worried if you're not too late. We have some time, and this is a very special place. Don't you think we should enjoy it while we can?"

Nathan leaned to kiss her, and to her amazement, she responded. She should not be thinking about this. She should be thinking about getting home, but....Haley released herself to his kisses and caresses, and they coupled on the grass.

She had thought that the three days in the motel were the most exquisite experience of her life, but here and now, under the sky and on the emerald carpet, she felt her self join with Nathan in a way that melded her very soul to his. Her every sense and nerve tingled at the touch of his body to hers, and the shattering climax that they both experienced left her floating in the safety of his arms until she again fell asleep.

When her breathing became deep and regular, Nathan kissed her on the forehead and whispered, "I've given you everything I have left to give. I only hope you understand."

"It's time, Hales."

She opened her eyes and smiled as she remembered his body against hers. She stretched and felt the wonderful sense of fullness that she felt every time they made love.

"Time to leave?"

"Yes Baby, it's time for you to leave, but I have to stay here."

She sat up and saw people in the dimness of the dusk.

"Wh – Wh- What do you mean…. you have to stay here?"

"Haley, I love you; I'll love you forever, but you have to go with them sweetheart. They'll take you where you need to go, but I have to go back………. Just…. Just remember me, and what we've had together. I wish with all my heart that I could go with you, but I can't…… Someday, I'll find you again, I promise, baby."

Haley watched as a bright light began as a tiny pinpoint and then swelled to engulf the entire meadow. She felt hands gently guiding her toward the light, and though she wanted to stay with Nathan, she felt the people telling her that she must come with them and to not be afraid. They walked into the brightest spot of the intense beam and she closed her eyes against the glare.

After what seemed like hours, the hands released her and Haley stopped walking. The voices were gone and she stood, motionless, feeling for the velvet touch of the hands, but felt nothing. The inky blackness that engulfed her when she opened her eyes was so dense that she could not find her hand when she brought it to her face. She was somehow not afraid, although she missed Nathan already.

The blackness began to seep into her, to lift her off her feet and propel her through the dark to somewhere. She cried out, "Nathan" and then her mind was absorbed into the inky fog. The sensation of floating and spinning out of control overtook her consciousness. To Haley, it seemed as if all her senses were straining for stimulation at the same time but there was nothing but the infinite blackness and the delirium of her disoriented mind.

She suddenly felt a touch and reached for it. Her hand closed on more black nothing. The touch came again, and lingered. Haley reached in a frantic grab and felt soft skin. She squeezed the touch and a small hand gripped hers. The blackness became grey, then dim to white, and finally she could see the red tone of light shining through her eyelids.

"Nurse Jenny, she moved, she moved her hand."

The breathless nurse fairly dragged Dr. Mathews into the room, and pointed at the boy who sat by the bedridden woman. Jamie squeezed Haley's hand gently, and her hand squeezed his back.

"Nathan, are we home?" The woman stirred and then opened her eyes. She remained on the bed only because Jamie held her hand and reached out to gently push her back down.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Miss..., Aunt Haley."

The familiar face and voice served to calm her panic, and she closed her eyes again. A hospital...what the heck?....

"Mrs. Scott, I'm Doctor King. You're in a room at Mercy Hospital in Greenville, but you're fine. Just try to relax."

Haley tried to sit up, and found that her grossly swollen belly would not let her rise.

"What's the matter with me. Why am I so fat?....Where's my husband?...." Haley asked impatiently.

"Mrs. Scott, this is going to be difficult for you to understand, but you're about 8 months pregnant. You've been in a coma since the accident. Jenny has called your mother, and she'll be here in a few minutes to be with you. Don't try to take this all in at once. It's going to take time for you to get back into things, and, of course, we'll want to run some tests."

"Where's my husband. I want to have Nathan here." Haley asked again.

"Nathan...I'm sorry, but your husband didn't survive the accident….. Now, try to calm down. Your mother will be here shortly, and she'll tell you everything."

She looked at Jamie for an explanation, and she saw the tears streaming down his face.

"Aunt Haley, you and Uncle Nate were in a car wreck. Some people got you out of the car, but Uncle Nate..."

Haley instinctively reached for him and Jamie cried out the grief he had held in for all those months.

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A week later, Haley was released, and Jamie and Lydia took her home to Aunt Elizabeth's. Haley asked her mother to drive to the cemetery on the way, and when Lydia stopped the car in front of the large headstone that said "Scott" and Jamie helped Haley out of the car.

She knew she had to see his grave to believe he was really gone. They walked to the side of the stone, and Haley ran a shaking hand over the cold, hard marble. Tears flowed from her eyes as she remembered their first meeting, the wedding, and the wonderful three days of their honeymoon. Why was this right? What had she done to deserve this?

"Oh, Nathan….. No."

She began to sob quietly, and felt the small hand slip into hers. Jamie held her gently until the sobs became sniffs, and he handed her a frayed white handkerchief.

"Don't worry, Aunt Haley. I'll take care of you now. I promised Uncle Nate."

"What...sniff...do you mean...sniff..., you promised him?"

"That day when you got married, we were in that little room behind where the preacher stands. Uncle Nate told me the best man has an important job. He said if anything ever happened to the husband, the best man was the one who was supposed to take care of the wife. He said I was the only one he trusted to look after you if anything ever happened to him. I promised him I wouldn't let him down...and I promise you that I won't."

"The nurse said you came to the hospital every day and sat with me. Is that why?" Haley gently asked.

"The doctors said if somebody talked to you and held your hand, you might get well…. I figured Uncle Nate would want me to do that..., but that's not the only reason. Aunt Haley, I like you a lot, and I wanted you to come back."

She knelt as best she could, and hugged Jamie until he grunted. "You did bring me back, Jamie. I felt your hand and you pulled me back."

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The little boy was born in March, and when Haley saw the bright Sea-colour blue little eyes in the rosy, scrunched-up face, she knew there could be only one name that fitted. Jamie Nate Scott went home with Haley to Aunt Elizabeth's house. Jamie was his first visitor, and brought a pocket knife as his give for the baby.

"I know he's too little for it, but Uncle Nate gave it to me, and I figured he might want his own boy to have it. Don't worry…… When he's old enough, I'll show him how to use it."

Haley started teaching that fall, and threw herself into the joy of helping students find their way through math, reading, and the sciences. She needed to teach in order to have time each day that she didn't miss Nathan. At home, she had Little Nate, as Jamie called him, and, of course, Jamie.

He had grown up in those months she lay in the hospital. He still ran and played with the other boys, but there was no question that he intended to keep his promise. He stopped by her house every evening to ask if she needed anything, and on Sunday afternoons, they went to visit Nathan's grave.

So passed the years as the endless stream of events called time gurgled into being from some unexpected place, flowed by, and then meandered into nothingness. Haley never looked for another man to replace Nathan, even though she had many invitations. She was content to teach her classes, raise their son, and on Sunday afternoons, to speak softly to Nathan as she and Jamie filled the little vase on the headstone with fresh flowers.

"Oh,Nathan, your boy is growing like crazy. I think he's going to be taller than you. And, Jimmy-jam is growing too, and he's taller than me now. Can you believe that?.... It would make you proud to see how he takes care of me and Little Jamie. You know, Momma once told me that 'once upon a time' never happens in real life, but it's happened to me three times….. The first was you, the first man I ever loved, and I've not found another to match you. Jamie was the second; he pulled me back to life, just like the prince kissing the princess. The third was your gift to me, your son, Little Jamie……. Having Jamie with me is almost like having you here, because he's so much like you. Our little Jamie looks just like you, and I know he'll be the same when he grows up…. Oh and, Jamie is teaching him the things a father should, and Saturday, they went fishing for the first time. When they came back, Jamie asked him to tell me what they'd talked about. So our Little Jamie looked up at me and piped, "Uncle Jamie says if I don't do good in school he won't take me fishin' no more". Remember when Jamie told me that, that night of the Christmas pageant?"

She was a little shocked when she realized she was teaching the children of her former students, but kids were kids, and they responded to the same blend of respect, love, and patient explanation as had their parents. This group of parents were different. The children would tell her that "Dad said you're the best teacher in the whole world, and if I get in trouble with you, he'll tan my hide". Christmas meant at least two trips to her car carrying the handkerchiefs, pot holders and other miscellaneous small gifts that her students presented to her with a beaming smile.

Soon, Christmas meant a visit from Jamie, his wife, and their daughter. Jamie had done well in life, and except for his two years in the Army, was still taking care of her.

Every Sunday afternoon she related her experiences to Nathan.

"You should see your Jamie now, Nathan. He used the GI Bill to get a loan, worked hard and now he owns the grocery store. He also met Ashley, and a nicer girl you would never find. Oh and, She's a little plump right now, but then, I was too after Little Jamie was born… They named their little girl Wendy; she has her mother's eyes and Jamie's nose. The rest of her is just Wendy, but that'll probably change when she gets older….. Jamie is so proud of her he's fit to bust. He's pretty proud of Ashley, too. And, Jamie speaks of you often, and loves to tell me stories about when you went fishing and camping……. I hope he has a son someday, but for now, he's still being a father to our Little Jamie. They have an old car they're fixing up, and your son is turning out to be a good mechanic….. And you know, your son has a cute little girlfriend already, and since he looks like you, I'm surprised he doesn't have a dozen…… Every time I look at him, I see you when we first met. He doesn't have that shaved head, of course. They're not in style now, but the rest of him is you…… Nathan, I know now, that you gave him to me to help me forget how much I hurt when you died, and to remember how much you still love me. Thank you Nathan…….for everything,"

* * *

**Chapter 03 – Tears In Heaven.**

Little Jamie took care of her too, and when she was forty, he and her new daughter-in-law, Margie, made her a grandmother. Haley was not ready for this milestone until she saw the little pudgy face peering out from the blankets. After that sight, she forgot about everything except for the tugging in her heart. Haley thought "Lizzie" was a bit casual for her granddaughter's name, but Aunt Elizabeth was ecstatic. Lydia was also excited by the tiny girl that instantly went to sleep on her breast. It was like having a baby of her own again, and Haley could understand her happiness.

Life spun on merrily for Haley; she now had two men to look after her every want, a daughter and little Jamie's wife to talk with about women's things, and it seemed to everyone as if her life was perfectly complete. Few knew that Squeaky still had a prominent place on her bed; even though he was faded with age and some of his stuffing had come out after Lizzie found him. He still heard her most private thoughts about how much she missed Nathan, and he was always there to give her the hug she needed. If anything was missing in her life, it was the companionship of the man she had loved so completely, and had lost so very early.

The circle turned again when Jamie's grandson entered her classroom. The third generation of Greenville's youth had come under her care. Haley was sixty-two, and all the other teachers thought she should retire. Jamie and Little Jamie also urged her to stop working and take things easy. She had thought of retiring, but what would she do if she couldn't teach? Jamie and Little Jamie didn't understand the satisfaction of seeing a little face lit up with new-found knowledge. What did a grocer and an engineer know about teaching? And that worry-wart doctor. She'd told Nathan about her last Sunday.

"Well, Doctor Lindsay says I'm getting on in years and should slow down, but what does she know?.... She's only thirty. I mean, When I was her age, I'd had Little Jamie and was raising him by myself. And you know, she asked me if I was ever tired, and I told her I'd been tired since Jamie learned how to walk." Haley giggled at her little joke.

"She told me I was in fine shape, but my blood pressure was too high. I don't feel bad, so I don't know why she's worried….. The only time it ever felt high was when we...well, you remember too, don't you. I miss that, sometimes…. Anyway, I told her I'd take it easy, but I love being with the kids….. I know you'd understand if you were here. By the way, Jamie's grandson is in my class. That's one kid who's parents care. He's kind of like Jamie was….. I have to keep him busy or he starts to act up. He's known me since he was born, so he thought he had the upper hand on the rest of the class, but I soon straightened him out…… I just told him I'd have a talk with his grandpa, and he got real quiet…. He hasn't been a problem since."

"And you know…..Little Jamie and Margie are doing fine. You already know that Lizzie got married last month, but you don't know that she's two month's along…. Kids these days don't seem to be able to wait on anything, but at least she's married now…. They seem to love each other a lot, so I'm not too worried. It will be different to be a great-grandmother. I don't feel that old yet. I wish you were here to see all the kids. I know you'd love them as much as I do….. Sometimes, it feels like you're here, but I'm not sure. It's just that, I sense something nearby, but I can't see anything….. I haven't told anybody, because they'd just think I'm crazy…… I wish it was you. I'd like to see you again more than anything."

When she was sixty-eight, Bert Armstrong, the president of the school board, paid a call at her house.

"Haley, it's time you quit teaching. You've worked so hard for us for all these years, and you deserve a rest. Why don't you retire and take some time for yourself?"

"I know you, Bert. You were the same way when you were in my class. You never say what you mean. Am I to understand that you're not satisfied with my teaching?"

He was instantly nine years old and back in her class. "Now, Mrs. Scott, you know better than that. There's hasn't been a board member in thirty years that hasn't had you for a teacher, and none of us has anything but good to say about you. It's just that...well, you're too old to still be working. You should be playing with your grandkids and taking it easy….. Dick says you're getting a prescription for high blood pressure filled at his drug store, and he's worried about your health. He says the stress of the classroom isn't doing your condition any good."

"Dick Jameson has a big mouth. Has since the second grade. He should learn to keep private things private instead of telling everybody he knows."

"Dick and I are the only ones who know, besides your doctor, that is. You know Dick wouldn't do that to you. I think you know I'm right, and you're just being stubborn."

---------------------

However, she retired at the end of the year. The "small" retirement party that Jamie and Little Jamie threw was held in the gym, and involved most of the town. One wall was covered with pictures of her classes, and she kept hearing the children asking, "Dad, is that really Mrs. Scott?, and then the answer, "Yep, she was my third grade teacher too." The school board presented her with a plaque honoring her years of service, and then made the announcement that the name of Greenville Grade School was being changed to the Haley J. Scott Grade School in her honor.

Haley traveled a bit for the next year to visit distant relations. She and Little Jamie's family made one trip to Johnson City to the Mountain Inn where she and Nathan had spent her honeymoon. She couldn't stay there on this trip, because the little motel had succumbed to the invasion of the big chains. The office was now an antique store, and the rooms that spread out on either side had become low-income housing.

Haley did find their room, and after she had explained her reason, the old couple had been gracious enough to ask her in. It had changed a lot, but she still felt the thrill of her wedding night as she walked inside. When she readied for bed that night, on the second floor of the Ramada, she thought how sad it was that all the little motels had disappeared.

That February, Lizzie had her third child, and Haley was the center of attention when they put little Lydia in her arms. She knew Momma would have been proud to give her name to the little bald baby girl. The picture taking went on for an hour, since the other two grandchildren wouldn't be left out, and she was tired when Little Jamie took her home. She tired easily anymore, she thought, but shrugged it off. A nap would fix everything up just fine, and then she'd read a few chapters of her latest book.

---------------------

The hospital waiting room was filled to capacity, but there were no shouts or arguments. There was only the quiet murmur of the concerned friends of the woman in intensive care. The men and women shuffled from group to group, or sat on the worn chairs and couches. Occasionally, one or two went outside to smoke, but quickly returned in hopes of hearing some news of her condition. They knew they couldn't see her, but it made them feel better to be there in the waiting room. Jamie came down to see if Little Jamie had gotten there yet, and caught bits of conversation as he entered the room.

"I remember when I was in Mrs. Scott's class, we were doing science, and I brought a frog. I thought she'd be scared, but she just picked him up and put him in that old aquarium. I had to catch flies for that frog until the end of the year. When my Davey started in her class, she remembered. Can you imagine that, remembering such a little thing after all those years?"

"When the principal came to get me, when Mom died, Mrs. Scott walked me out into the hall and gave me a hug. She said I should be brave, because my dad would really need me. She was crying as hard as I was, but she shook Dad's hand, and said she was very sorry for him, and if he needed anything, to just let her know. We'd just moved to Greenville, and she didn't even know us that well, but she still wanted to help."

"Back then, teachers could whip kids, but Mrs. Scott never did. She'd make you feel about this high, just by talking to you, and you'd never do whatever it was you did, again. And she never even raised her voice. I wish teachers were the same as they were back then, or at least that more of 'em were like her."

After every story, nods of agreement or quiet chuckles were exchanged.

Jamie told Mr. Reynolds, the grade school principal that there was no change, and went back upstairs. He knew Bill would spread the word.

The scene in the ICU hadn't changed for hours. Jamie and Margie were by her side and each held a frail hand. Jamie's wife, Ashley, went to get coffee for them once in a while, and had stood her turn at the bedside. None of them saw the young man with the flat-top haircut who stood by her pillow. If they had, they might have mistaken him for Little Jamie, but Little Jamie was rushing back from a business trip.

"He's coming, Aunt Haley. Ashley got hold of him on his cell phone, and he'll be here any minute."

"Haley, we don't have to leave until he gets here…… Just relax. Everything's going to be all right." Haley heard the words in her mind, as if they were a dream, and she only had to think to answer. She knew Nathan was with her, and if she turned her head, she could see him. She had smiled when he first came to stand beside her, because she knew they would soon be together again.

"I know. I need Little Jamie to see me off, and I can wait that long. I kind of wish I didn't have to leave them, but their kids have kids of their own, and they have their own lives to live. Thank you for giving me Little Jamie. He gave me the strength to go on after you left."

The gentle touch of his hand in hers reassured her, and she knew this was not the end, but would be the beginning of all they had missed over the years.

"We'll watch over them together, just like I've been watching over you all these years."

Little Jamie walked quickly to the bedside.

"Mom, it's Jamie. I got here as soon as I could."

Haley opened her eyes to gaze on her son. She was always amazed at how much Little Jamie looked like his father. He was a little taller, and had put on weight over the years, but the face was the same. He took her hand in his and Margie went to be with Ashley.

"Little Jamie, my baby Jamie." She squeezed his hand, and he was shocked at how little pressure he felt.

"You take good care of your family when I'm gone. And you too, Jamie. Just like you both took care of me when I needed it most….. I never thanked either of you, but without you two, I don't think I'd have made it."

"Don't talk like that, Mom. You'll be home before you know it, and we'll still be taking care of you."

"Yes, I'm going home, but not with you. I'm going home with your Dad. He's waiting for me, and I'm ready to join him……. I know you don't understand, but you will, one day….. Don't feel sad for me, feel happy."

Haley closed her eyes, and although they never told each other afterward, Little Jamie and Jamie both felt a chill pass over them. The little sigh from the white-framed face on the pillow marked her final breath. Both leaned to kiss her cheeks, and then tried to see their way from the room through their tear-filled eyes. Margie and Ashley held them as they silently grieved for this great lady who had left their lives.

Even had they looked, they wouldn't have seen the young woman rise from the bed and join the young man with the flat-top. They wouldn't have seen him envelop her in his arms and kiss her.

"I'm ready now, Nathan. I'm ready to go wherever you take me."

"It's a pretty nice place, but it'll be better, now that you're here. It's a little like a fairy tale, really. Everything that happens is good. Your momma is there, and Aunt Elizabeth. They're anxious to see you."

"I'll be happy to see Momma. When we were driving back, that day, I was thinking that I should tell her she was wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"Before I went to college, she told me things weren't always perfect. She said that once upon a time never happens. Somehow, over the years, I forgot to tell her that it happened for me."

"Like you kept telling me on those Sunday afternoons?"

"Yes, like in the fairy tales she used to read me. You know, once upon a time, there was a princess?.... Well, now I can tell her that once upon a time is forever."

**The End!**

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